Safety platform for sliding poles



July 19, 1960 N. H. ANDREASEN 2,945,550

SAFETY PLATFORM FOR SLIDING POLES Filed April 12, 1954 I J52 a e 72 f07". 'LM U TIIZan 47f a fndreasen Mtg,

2,945,550 SAFETY PLATFORM FOR SLIDING POLES Norman H. Andreasen, 5229 N.Kimball Ave, Chicago, 111.

Filed Apr. 12, 1954, Ser. No. 422,329 4 Claims. (Cl. 182-137) Thisinvention relates to platforms for the base of sliding poles, and moreparticularly to'such platforms as will be highly resilient, easilyremoved from and replaced to its functional position, provided with adesigned bottom surface to take initial shock in landing and to permitfree circulation of air thereunder.

Sliding poles are generally associated with firehouses in the publicmind, although they are used in many other plants and buildings whererapid descent from one floorto another is desired. Generally speakingthey are upright poles extending from a base at one floor through agenerally round opening in an overhead floor on which men can sliderapidly from an upper floor to a lower floor.

Men sliding down such poles strike the base floor with considerableforce, depending of course upon their weight and speed of slide. If aplurality of men are using the pole in rapid succession, a personstriking the base must move rapidly away to' clear it for the next man.Since men using it are often fatigued and indeed frequently arising fromsleep, alertness and caution in use of the pole must sometimes becompensated for by mechanical means. It has therefore become commonpractice to provide cushioning means at the base of such poles whichwill absorb some of the shock of landing from a speedy descent. Suchmeans have heretofore been permanent or semi-permanent installationsbuilt around the pole base and directly on the floor. Such cushioningmeans heretofore in use absorb and retain moisture, lose theirresiliency, and often stain and damage the base floor from mildew androt. These and numerous other deficiencies are encountered in slidingpole cushions generally in use.

My invention has for its specific objects the provision of a highlyresilient platform spaced from the base floor to permit air circulationthus preventing stain and rotting from mildew and the like and at thesame time providing resilient knobs to absorb initial shock, placeddesignedly in such locations on the bottom of the platform as to meetthe greater number of landing blows without increasing the thickness ofthe structure throughout its area.

The many advantages and objectives of my invention will be apparent fromthe drawings and the following description of one highly satisfactoryform of my invention.

Fig. l is a top perspective view taken from the side, showing my safetyplatform mounted about the base of a sliding pole;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my safety platform;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of my invention taken along the lines 3-3 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a section of the bottom of my safety platform.

In Fig. 1, my safety platform, generally designated 20, is shown mountedon a floor 22 about the base of a sliding pole 24. As shown in this andother figures the platform comprises a generally round cushion 26, maderates Patent ice of sponge rubber or similar material and preferablyhaving a smooth skin surface preventing water absorption. The diameterof the cushion 26 is preferably about 28 inches, and it is provided witha rounded periphery 28. I have found that this size and shape are highlydesirable as large enough to absorb landing shock and yet small enoughto be quickly cleared, permitting rapid departure without obstruction.

On the under side of the safety platform, and preferably moldedintegrally therewith and of the same material are a plurality of knobs30. These as well as all exposed surfaces of the safety platform arepreferably provided with a smooth skin surface to prevent waterabsorption.

The knobs 30 not only serve to space the platform from the floorpermitting air circulation thereunder but are also located as to be moreclosely together at points of most likely impact and shock than forexample at points around the outer portions of the platform. The closercrowding of the knobs at various points is indicated in the drawings asat 32 and 34 in Fig. 4 and at 36 in Fig. 3.

At the center of the platform there is provided an opening 38 tosurround the sliding pole. Sliding poles vary in diameter and I havefound it desirable to make the center hole at least inch larger indiameter than the pole with which it is used. A fairly common size is a3 inch diameter pole.

Another important feature of my platform is the means for placing itabout the base of the sliding pole and for easy removal therefrom. Whilethis at first thought would appear to be an easy matter, it iscomplicated by the fact that an even and complete cushioning medium mustbe placed completely around the pole without leaving any open or deadspots which might result in opening the cushion on impact or striking adead spot with the body resulting in impact injury. For this purpose Iprovide a slit radius starting in a straight line direct from the centerof the platforms center hole, as at 40 and terminating in the samestraight line at the periphery, as at 42. The slit, however, makes arounding turn 44 back toward the center at an angle of about 35 forseveral inches then makes another rounding turn 46 to continue againtoward the periphery on a line parallel to the first, proceeding forabout half the radius of the platform. It then makes another roundingturn 48 at about 35 until it makes another rounding turn at the sameangle to meet the path of the original slit at 50 and proceedstherealong to the periphery 42. The slit preferably does not passthrough any of the supporting knobs but should receive extra supporttherefrom by arrangement of the supporting knobs, particularly atadjacent corners, as for example, by the knobs 52, 54, 56, 58, 6t} and62. While variations in the path of the slit may successfully be made,that which I have shown and described keeps the slit closed on impact,prevents it from spreading after long use, and at the same time permitsready removal and replacement of the platform for daily cleaning and thelike.

The knobs or protuberances on the under side of the safety platformlocated adjacent the edges of the slit tend to keep the slit fromseparating in use by maintaining the cushion in that area in the sameplane as the remainder of the cushion face and also by providingadditional friction resistance at the floor or base upon which thesafety platform stands.

It is desirable that a landing platform of my invention have a lowoverall height, preferably about 1 /2 inches or less and I have foundthat thickness from top surface through a knob to be very satisfactory.

It will be clear that the platform above described meets my objectivesand while its precise form may be varied in particulars, I do not desireto be limited to that shown, except as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A safety platform for sliding poles comprising a resilient pad havinga central opening to fit around a sliding pole, said pad being ofsubstantial diameter, relative to a mans measurements, such that a mandescending on it in sliding down the pole engages it with his feetnormally and most often at an inner area near the pole and adjacent thecenter thereof, the pad thus having an outer area surrounding the innerarea, said pad having a slit from its central opening to its outerperiphery to permit mounting the pad around the sliding pole, andresilient knobs protruding from the under side of said pad to space itfrom a floor base and to permit air circulation thereunder and providecushioning means for initial shock, said knobs being located about saidpad at closer proximity to each other in said inner area and thus in thearea receiving greatest impact shock than at said outer area.

2. A safety platform for sliding poles as described in claim 1, in whichthe platform is molded in one piece of resilient sponge rubber, allexterior parts of said platform having a skin surface resistive to waterabsorption, whereby to provide maximum resilience in all parts including said inner area receiving greatest impact shock and maximumdrying effect by air circulation.

3. A safety platform for sliding poles comprising a resilient pad havinga central opening to fit around a sliding pole, said pad having a slitfrom its central opening to its outer periphery to permit mounting ofthe pad around the sliding pole, and resilient knobs protruding from theunderside of said pad to space it from a floor base and to permit aircirculation thereunder and pro viding cushioning means for initialshock, said knobs being located about said pad at closer proximity toeach other at a central area than at the outer peripheral areasurrounding the central area at least other than near said slit, andbeing at closer proximity to each other adjacent said slit on each sidethereof than in other areas.

4. A safety platform for sliding poles comprising a resilient pad havinga central opening to fit around a sliding pole, said pad being ofsubstantial diameter, rela tive to a mans measurements, such that a mandescending on it in sliding down the pole engages it with his feetnormally and most often at an inner area near the pole and adjacent thecenter thereof, the pad thus having an outer area surrounding the innerarea, said pad having a slit from its central opening to its outerperiphery to permit mounting the pad around the sliding pole, said slitfollowing a path in the plane of the pad defining tongueand-grooveformation as between the portions'defining the slit, thetongue-and-groove thus being extended in said plane, and the tongue andthe portion on the opposite side of the slit defining the groove havingmutually interlocking elongated projections, and resilient knobsprotruding from the underside of said pad to space it from a floor baseand to permit air circulation thereunder and provide cushioning meansfor initial shock, said knobs being distributed generally over the areaof the pad for maintaining the pad at a substantially uniform level,said knobs including at least one on each of said projections formaintaining the latter at said uniform level whereby to maintain saidtongue-and-groove in secure interlock notwithstanding deflection ordistortion of any part of the pad dueto irnpact'by a man landingthereon.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 863,054Dickerson Aug. 13, 1907 1,049,087 Hill Dec. 31, 1912 2,143,122 DawsonJan. 10, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 485,974 Canada Aug. 19, 1952

